Driving mechanism for motor-carriages



PATBOTED APR. 7, 1903.

, A. B. MORSE.. O DRIVING MEOHANISM POR MOTOR OARRIAGES.

APPLIOTIOT FILED SEPT,26,1903.

5 SHBETSLSHBBT l.

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APPLICATION FILED SEPT, 26, 1903- I vI ff- I z gw .I

PATENTED APR. 7, 1908.

s SHB'ETSLSHBBT a.

PATENTED APR. .7, 1908 A. B. MORSE. f DRIVING FOR' MOTOR OARRIAGBS. FILED SEPT. 26, 1903.

MEGHANIS M APPLICATION 5 SHEETS-SHBET l4 No. 883,785. PATENTED APR. 7,1988.

I v A. B. M0888.

DRIVING MBGHANISM PoR MOTORUARRIAGBS.

' APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1903.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5 lnvevzn WWE. .721671994 UNITED STATES Pi'iT-ENT FFICE.

ALFRED B. MORSE, OI" SOUTH EASTN, MASSACHUSETTS.

DRIVING MECHANISM EUR MOTRUARRAGL1S No. seems.

Specification o.' Letters atent.

Patented anni 7,1908.

Application and september 2a iets. serial nu. 174,782.

is a specification, like letters on the draw! ings representing like parts.

My 'invention 1s an improvement in thc driving mechanism of automobiles, being particularly intended for gas engines, although not restricted thereto.

Among the objects of m'y invention are the.

centralization of the moving parts about the driving axle, driving the same frietionally, having a dustand oil proof casing therefon. and also preferably a connected casing for all the mechanism, permitting oiling the parts V in common and also minimizing the por l.. bility of oil escaping, besides other objects 'which will appear more at length later on.

Referring further to the lirst mentioned object of my invention, it is well to note that a motor carriage. requires not only strength but noiselessness, coinj'iactness, durability',

.lightness and simplicity, and `all these requ-irements must e found in onel and the same. mechanism, so that the problem is far from simple; and in mvpreseiit invention l have aimed to secure these objects by using a frictional clutch located at the axle.

The change s eed gears, reverse gear and brake, besides t e clutch mechanism, all' en circle the driving axle, thereby doing `awa with4 those parts and arrangements whic heretofore have tended to jar the body ofthe vehicle and also produce noise and other coinplications, and also leaving the body of the vehicle unweighted and unoccupied. Also' this constructiongives smoothness and ease of running, besides noiselessness, and renders it extremely easy for the user to operate the"V controlling levers.

A further feature of my invention resides in providing a large frictional surface for the driving engagement, the engaging surfaces .thereof being of different materials bo as to maintain smoothness of operation and se! cure great durability and prevent the roughening and rapid wearing out of the frictional device.

VFurther constructionall details, advantages yandthe' operation thereof will be. pointed outfin the course of the following dcscripside elevation thereof.

view thereof.

tion.

tion, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which'l have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, and

vthe latter will be more particularly defined in the appended claims also forming a part of this pecification.

ln the drawings Figure 1 shows in rear elevation m y apparatus as applied to the driving aisle. of a vehicle. Fig. l is a left hand Fig. 3 is a top plan nal section takenv on the line Ll-4, Fig. B, parts being broken away .for clearness of illustration. Fig. is a cross sectional detail showing the clutch and gearing in side eleva Fig. (i is a sectional view of the differ eniial gearing. Fig. 7 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. S is a sectional detail to `be referred to. ldig. 9 a broken detail partly H in section showing the construction of the case for the cooling device and details of the engine. Fig. l0 is an end view of the inten mediate gear case. Fig. 1l is a sectional view allowing the brake inside elevation...

ln the drawings l. have not undertaken to show the general details of the vehicle itself inasmuch as my mechanism is applicable to any driving shaft or axle ay adapted to sup" port the body of the vehicle on usual springs o. Referrin more particularly to Figs. 1l to S,

lf 4 is a vertical longitudi-` it will be seen that the shaft c is split or separated into two parts at afJ and provided with an axial. hole or recess ai* having slots'a, c opening outwardly.

Within the recess a* is a slide-rod or connecting bar c7 shouldered at its opposite ends to receive opposite lugs o8 toengage and opcrate conical spreaders c, a" vfor actuating the clutch mechanism and themselves moved by a fork o on a collar 1,13 encircling the shaft o.. at the left .hand side of thc gearing, Fig. Ll. The fork all? is carried at the free end of a bell crank lever ci", shown in l and 3, pivoted at am and connecting with an operating rod al at its outer free end.

Adjacent the split ends'of the shaft c are mounted two gears l), b keyed thereto at lf,

b3.4 ln mesh with the gear b is a pinion Fig. 6, where they are-similarly lettered:`

Theshafts bl, lis of the gears lit-b are mounted '1 iection 612 are a corresponding number of evers 62" whose rolls 621 engagesald inclined in a housing or gear carrier .62 which acts as a i power. transmitter for driving 'the shaft a,

eing journaled for eompactness on 'the pro- 1 'jecting ends of the gears 6, 6', as clearly shown in Fig. 4. This power transmitter 6a is provided on one face and preferably adjacent its periphery with a flat frictional driving surface `as indicated at 61o for givin a large engaging surface for high speed. d-

ljacent thereto is a high speed driving gear 612 loosely mounted on an annular projection 613 of the power transmitter or carrier 62 and having the. opposite faces of its -web 614 groundiiat td provide frictional engaging surfaces' for drivin the vehicle, annular plates or disks 612, 11 of indurated fiber or n equivalent material beingalprovided'loosely at 'opposite sides of said we On theouter side of the disk 611fis a compression plate 617 for coupling the driving gearfto the power transmitter loosely mounted at 612 on' an annular flange or hub of the ower carrier 62 and provided with a series, erein shown as four, of slightly inclined projections 612. Coperating with the proprojections and the oppositerolls 622 thereof are engaged by the conlcal spreaders a of the clutch mechanism, 'the latter bein preferably provided with grooves or dwe ls (L21 for maintaining the -clutch clamped. A 'plate v 622, ,corresponding to the late 617 is provided a .the 0 osite side o `the gearing and has similar inc lned Vrejections 612 and cop,- erating levers 62 and) rolls 621, 622 operated by the-spreadera10. carried on l studs 624 projecting om the `power carrier 62 throughv the respective epgaged by a series of pinions 632 four there# -eing herein shown, carried by a spider or- .ann'ul'ar carrler 622'wh1ch, when moved by' the clutchto rotate with the power transftter, actuates the latter at slow speed, and when held against movement with said power transmitter serves tor reverse the rotation. For thelatter purpose l provide said 'spider with an outwardly'projecting annular flange 622 to receive a reversing device herein shown as a brake strap 625. An in- '.wardly projecting radial flange 622 is provided' for forward slow speed movement, having vopposite fiat sides engaged by liber rings or ates627, '622. which act the same as the before The levers 620 are ivotalljr ring or plate 627 engaging the outer face of a radial ,u eb 61" or a gear 611 in mesh withthe series of pinions 622. 61 are integral with er secured immovably to the power transmitter62.

seen that both the speed gears 612 and 62.7 rotate continuously in the same direction and when the clutch is moved to the right, Fig. 4.-,

transmit forward driving movement through the power transmitter 62 to theshaft a and when said clutch is moved to the left, the low speed gear 627 through the intermediate pinions 622, spider 633 and gear 611 transmits shaft through said power transmitter, ithe tively immovable so that the pinions 622 are locked against rotation, and hence transmit the forward motion of the gear 627 directl to the shaft. lf new theactuating sprea ers Aare moved to an intermediate position so that the clutch is neither ini the hlgh speed position nor in the low speed position, yandthe reversing lever is pul ed -thereby applying the brake 625 to the spider 633 and stopping the latter, the forward rotation of the gear 627 -jthen )immediately rotates the pinions 622 and they in turn'drive the gear 611` in a direction opposite to that of the gear 627, and, inasmuch as said gear 6"l is rigid with the power transmitter, the latter is caused to transmit reverse drivingmotion to the shaft a.

The shaft 622 receives power from a pinion ing with gear 63. The crank shaft 6.,also carries adjacent its outer end a'balance wheel 617 and beyond. the latter a suction fan' 618 foi` Ventilating purposes, as will presently be described.

Between the high speed and low speed gears 612, 627, the vperi hery, of the power transmitter 62 is turne( dowh to provide a -clamped opposite bra e shoes 650,' herein c. strength, and adjustably connected '.at one end by a bolt 6"2 andgspring 653 and at their other ends by ivoted links 6.2'1 eccentrically y turning on shafts 627, one of which extends externally of the housing, as shown in Figs. 1 ,and 2, and is provided with a crank' 65s actuated'by an operating rod 651.

The 'reversing mechanism 'is actuated Iby an operating rod orlever 62' pivoted to a crank 621.

my invention is tohave the gearing mounted on and surrounding the driving axle and connected therefrom by a housing in such .a manner that the apparatus is oil tight and dust proofgand for this'purpsethe casing,

mentioned ibei` plates or disks 615, 6111, said' The gear '641 and web- From the foregoing description it will begear 611 and spider 633 being then held rela? brake surface 621 vagainst which. ma he `-shown, Fig. 11, as provided with ribs 651 for As alreadyv explained, a leading objectief.Y

orward movement at slow speed to said .615 on the crank shaft 61 of the engine, meshconnected at 55 to inter-meshing vgem-s 7,5

75 the high speed gear 612 is caused thereby to v f through the. cylinder' casi suaves as best shown in Figs. 1-3, comprises a sub stantially circular shell c shown as made in two parts ,'oined along the line c about the axle, the c amber ci this shell opening into an intermediate gear case' c2 inwhich is mounted the engine shaft and gearing connected therewith, said intermediate gear case c2 opening at its forward end into a crank case c". At the upper end of the crank case 'c3 is the engine cylinder c* receiving its charge from -a carburetor (not shown) through an opening ci.

A shell cS incloses the cylinder and cylinder head c7 and valve chamber (not shown) a usual valve gear case cs being provided on the crank case c3, and an exhaust mufller and other usual accompaniments of this kind of apparatus, but inasmuch as they do not eonstitute part of my vinvention they are not herein shown. f

From the foregoing description it will he seen thatoil placed .in the apparatus at any convenient point as at c in the crank case, will be distributed to all necessary parts of the entireapparatus by the action ot' the mechanism itseltl and inasmuch as all the latter is contained within practically one housing or casing, the apparatus is oil proof. This result is made possible partly by reason of the fact that the gearing is gathered in one confined space, that space beingpreferahly about the rear axle of the. vehicle.

. Forv convenience the casing is made in a plurality of parts but it is nevertheless practically one casing. This taken/in connection with the automatic cooling of the parts, (described and claimed in my cri-pending application, Serfho. 236,813), renders it practicallyunnecessary yto inspect or get at the operating parts ot the apparatus.

The cooling apparatus is so arranged that it applies the greatest cooling eifel-.t to those parts most liable to get heated and for this purpose is made in the formo a down draft which may be' operated by any suitable means, the draft being herein shown as caused by an exhaust tan b4 at the rear of the flywheel lf" 'fixed to the engine shaft 11.4 so that it is always pulling a strong draft of air down p ng, a passage. way cm being provided through Vthe intermediate case cl' from an annular vpassage c at the hase of the cylinder shell opening into the latter by a scriesot holes c.

The chamber Vwithinthe cylinder shell is divided in a series of vertical compartments lby vertical radial ribs 0" Formed around the cylinder and opening at their upper ends to the outer air through openings el 'in the shell. v

ln general the operation of my apparatus is as lollows: The moment the engine is started, the entire operating mechanism including all the pinions and gears and bearings which need lubrication are thoroughly oiled automatically and are kept properly oiled, while at lthe same time a multitude ot small streams ot cold air is pouringdown through the cylinder casing c on the parts which would otherwise become overheated, and the faster the engine runs, the greater is the inrush ot this cold air, which is comelled to keep up a continuous circulation as lling as the engine operates. As the crank shaft b4 rotates7 it drives the pinions N8, b3", which are respectively in mesh with the slow speed gear b7 and the high speed gear bm. When the operator gets ready to go ahead, he pushes forward on the operating rod a, through the hell crank e, shifting the spreader e, to the right., Fig. 4, and simultaneously causing their outer free en'ds wardly on the inclines b1 of the compression plate b, thereby moving the latter tightly against the iiher 'Washer or disk b and compressing the latter and disk bu into driving power transmitter b which,

to ride upeol'itact with the thriiugh its contained differential gearing drives the shaft al forward at. high speed, By theterm power transmitter I do not restrict myself to any particular form hut include any means For transmitting driving motion to the axle. It now the operator wishes to stop, and back his motor-carriage, he shifts the spreader e to-the left so as to release the levers if from their pressing engagement on the plate Il" and, then retracts the rod bm, thereby tightening the strap b3 on the flanged pinion carrier lso as to stop the latter, thereby causing the slow speed gear tf through engagement of its internal teeth 631 with the pinions bJ2 to drive the gear if in a reverse direction, thereby transmitting, through the differential gearing, a reverse action to the shaft a. Vthen the open ator wishes to climb a steep hill or for other reasons desires to have more power and less speed Yhe pullsback on the rod (19, thereby moving the hellcrank o so as to shift the slide rod (1.7 to thelett, Fig. .4, andk actuate the spreaderrtm toseparate the levers b2 of the compression plate b2a so as to force the latter and the vliber rings or plates i137., b and weh 5 ot the pinion. carrierl3 into immovahlc engagement with the power transmitter b", the resultbeing that the slow speed gear if" through the engagement of its internal teeth if with the now immovablepinions b drives forward the shaft at slow speed. It now, it is desired to stop the machine gently, the operator shifts the rod al forward again until the spreader cm is in a neutral position and simultaneously therewith he pulls on the rod b5, thereby instantly setting the brake shown in Fig. 1l and stopping the vehicle. And it this should happen on a down hill or wherever an entra brake is required, he can transform the reversing mechanism into an auxiliary brake and obtainthe full force of spreading apart the levers 62"' the engine or any degree thereof desired, simply by retracting the rod be more or less according to the degree of braking force desired to be secured Afrom the reversing mechanism. This is rendered practicable by reason ofthe fact that my reversing mechanism isv of the friction character, the hard iiber lates making it possible to maintain its ho d without roughening them, or on the other hand, to permit a slight slipping thereof without material inQury.

Providing the driving mechanism of my apparatus with metal ory fiber or other sub-. stance dissimilar to the metal brought into frictional contact with each other, is another important and novel feature, especially when used in connection with the oilingl feature whichmaintains said surfaces running more or-less in oil. Not only do these dissimilar contacting surfaces in the construction above explained, prevent roughening and rapid wear, but they give large area the high speed gear having this frictional area as near the pheriphery as possible, thereby giving the largest leverage and frictional contact practical with compact construction, so that when the clutch is closed, there is very little possibility of the partsslipping. This provision of having very-large friction surfaces is also an important lfeature of novelty, as it enables me to get all speeds simply by permitting the surfaces to slip more or less according to the speed desired.

In some devices it has been considered necessary to have quite a number of change speed gears, necessitating a very complicatedm'echanism, butV I accomplish all the desired results simply by'providing the large frictional surfaces which makes it feasible 'to clamp them immovably or permit slight or large amount of' slipping of one relatively to the other as desired.. The 'fiber plates running in oil aid materially in securing this result. Another important advantage resulting from the same features is that there is never any quick and unpleasant jerk and strain brought upon the vehicle when the clutch is thrown in.

lpressions or spreader has locked the clutch in operative position thellevers 52 and thespreader with which they; engage, as also the compression plate, areuall revolving together. t

Whenever the shaft or axle'y ai is rotated,

the power transmitter a thlciugh ,which itlis rotated, 4carries withv it bci'th cpmpression While I have undertaken above to set` forth the leading advantages of my invention, as at prer ent A'apprehended by me, other advantages :pill occur to those Skilled in the art and I al i wishA it understood that I am not restricted tothe const-ructional details herein presented, excepting as they may be specified in certain of the claims, as many changes in form, arrangement and combination of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.- 4

l. have herein shown and described certain clutch mechanism and brake mechanism which is not herein claimed, butnls reserved for another application. s

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters f Patent, is: l

l. Driving mechanism for a motor-vehlcle, comprising an axle, a power transmitter mounted thereon, two gears carried by said axle for operating said transmitter, and clutching mechanism including two actuating means, locatedat the opposite sides of said transmitter and connected together at the axle for coupling one or the other of said gears and said transmitter as desired and a single operating device for said two connect-` ed actuating means. i

2. Driving mechanism for a'motor-vehicle, comprising an axle, a power transmitter mounted thereon, two gears carried by said axle for operating said transmitter, and clutching mechanism including actuating means movable longitudinally in contact with saidaxle for coupling oneor the other of said gears to said transmitter as desired.

3. Driving mechanism for a motor vehicle, comprising an axle, a power transmitter,

and two gears for driving the latter, both concentric of said axle, and clutching mechanism `for coupling one or the other of said gears to said trans1nitte'r,and two connected actuating means located. co-axially of the concentric mechanism for operating said clutching mechanism.

4. Driving mechanism for a motorV vehicle, comprising an` axle, a power transmitter, a high speed gear separate from said transmitter, at one side of the latter and "concentric .to said axle, a low speed gear also sepafete from saidtransiiiitterfat other' side` o'f "the latter and concentric-to said axle, said power transmitter 'extending out radially bey tween said two concentric gears and the latter having radially extending frictionaldrivsurfaces, and frictional 'clutching mech-- Aanism movable longitudinally of the axle for @laterally engaging eachv 'of said concentric gears. 5. Driving mechanism for a motor vehicle, comprising an axle, a power transmitter,

afhigh Ispeed gear at one sidel of said transl'iniytt'er and concentrictosaid axle, a low speed gdiLfat thel'other sideof said trans- ,jsurfaces, and sa l mitter and alsoconcentric. tol said axle, said 'two concentric ears having radial friction iitransmitter having copep ating radial friction surfaces,a brake operat- 4 on `said,ii-transrnitter" between said two gears," andcliitch mechanism `for frictionally fcoiiplingat will eith'er of `said gears withsaid Atransmitter duringlthe of the axle.

.76. `Driving mec anisin for a motor-vehj cle, comprising an axle, a power transmitter,

' l speed gear at the other side of said trans- 'a highspeed gear at one side of said trans Amitter and concentric' te said axle, a low @speed gear at theloth'er side -of said transmitter and also concentric to said axle, a brake operating on said transmitter between 'said two gears, and frictional clutching mechanism for each of said gears.

7. Driving mechanism for a motor-vehicle, comprising an axle, a power transmitter,

a high speed gear at one side of said transmitter and concentric to s'aid axle, a low mitter and also concentric to said axle, and

'means coperating with one of said gears for reversing the driving. movement thereof on 4Q said axle.

8. Driving mechanism for a niotor-vehi cle,'comprising an axle, a power transmitter, a high speed gear at one side of said transmitter and concentric to said axle, a low speed gear at the other side of said transmeans incliidino' a frictional devicecoperating with one oiF means eing convertible into a friction brake.

9. Driving mechanism for a motor-vehicle, comprising an axle, a power transmitter mounted thereon, anv annular gear provided with externalmeans for receivi saidgears for reversing thedrivi movement thereof on said axle, said' power and with internal teeth for transmittingpower, a concentric gear within said annular gear for 4,5 mitter and also concentric to said axle, andr transmitting movement to said oWer transmitter, a pinion engaging sai concentric ear and said internal teeth, an annular memer carrying said pinion, and clutching mechanism for coupling said-member to said concentric gear.

l0. Driving mechanism for a motor-vehicle, comprising an axle, driving mechanism at said axle, anengine shaft, gearin connecting the latter with said driving mec anism, a crank case, an intermediate case for said shaft, and a case for said axle and driving mechanism, said three cases opening into each other to constitute one compartment for the free transmission of oil, and affording a ti ht and oil proof connected housing for- 

